Suchomimus

Suchomimus (meaning “crocodile mimic”) is an extinct genus of spinosaurid dinosaur. Its closest relatives are Baryonyx and Spinosaurus, and it looks very similar to this star of Jurassic Park III. Suchomimus, however, lacked the tall spines and large sail of its famous cousin since its vertebrae were much smaller.

“It was a dinosaur trying hard to be a crocodile,” says paleontologist Paul Sereno after he discovered a Suchomimus tenerensis during an expedition to Africa. It had a long snout filled with teeth that seem designed to catch fish. Long, powerful arms ended in three-fingered hands with huge claws, which would have been useful for holding on to large gar fish, which may have made up part of its diet. It probably would swim after fish or catch them on land similar to a grizzly bear and then kill it using its massive arms. Suchomimus lived 105 million years ago and this skeleton is the most complete in existence of any of the spinosaur family of dinosaurs.

Other paleontologists say that the discovery of Suchomimus is important as it illustrates the diversity of dinosaurs. In particular, this discovery illustrates that a large carnivore that lived on land could survive eating mostly fish.

A 2022 study regarding the bone densities between Suchomimus and its close relatives Baryonyx and Spinosaurus revealed that Suchomimus was suited to a lifestyle of wading in shallow water in search of prey due to its hollow bones. By comparison, Baryonyx and Spinosaurus were better suited to diving after prey in deep water thanks to their denser bones. This is particularly noteworthy as some scientists have previously classified Suchomimus and Baryonyx as being the same animal, and the differences in their skeletal structures and hunting habits further prove they are different though still closely related animals.